Some things are unequivocally "Utah." Delicate Arch, the Great Salt Lake and Temple Square come to mind.
And fry sauce.The culinary concoction of mayonnaise and catsup first became a favorite of Arctic Circle drive-in patrons in the 1950s, and since that time it has become a cultural staple alongside ice cream and Jell-O.
That's why 2002 Winter Games marketers believe it is only appropriate that fry sauce be awarded the same lofty status as those other indigenous favorites. As of last week, 10,000 fry sauce Olympic pins went on sale.
"We are always looking for new ideas like fry sauce and Jell-O," said David Hyman, executive vice president of Aminco, the licensee that makes and markets all Olympic pins for the 2002 Games. "Pins are an effective way to tell the story of the history and culture of Utah."
Better hurry if you want a fry sauce pin, though. Hyman says the fry sauce pins will probably be sold out by next week, elevating the pin to the same collectible -- and expensive -- status as the immensely popular Jell-O and ice cream pins.
If you miss out though, just be patient because another collectible is just around the corner.
Aminco is about to release a new red Jell-O pin.
Such is the world of Olympic collectibles, where a green Jell-O pin originally priced at about $7 now sells at pin shows for $90 to $100. The ice cream pin goes for about $40 or $45. The fry sauce pin is already going up in value.
Utahns will get their chance to purchase green Jell-O pins and other collectibles Friday and Saturday at the Olympic Pin, Coin and Memorabilia Show at the Salt Palace.
The highlight of the event is a Friday night auction of Olympic memorabilia that include items from the 1896 Games in Athens to the present. Coins, programs, medals, even torches will go to the highest bidder.
An official's badge from the 1896 Games, the first of the modern Olympic Games, is expected to sell for $4,750. A torch from the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, is expected to fetch $8,000 to $10,000.
"The memorabilia offer a great sense of history," Hyman said. "Even if people come just to look, they become participants in the wonderful feeling of the movement."
The pin show and auction are expected to draw at least 40 pin traders and several thousand people wanting to trade.
"Most people are interested in the pins because they are easier to collect," Hyman said. And a whole lot cheaper than an Olympic torch.
So far, Aminco has produced about 250 Utah Olympic pins, and by the time the Games conclude in February 2002 there will be between 600 and 800 pins. And that's not counting the hundreds of pins made for official Games sponsors that won't be sold at retail stores.
Hyman said Aminco's job is to paint the entire story of the 2002 Games through pins. And that means pins depicting everything from the state's natural landscapes to its pioneer and Native American heritage and, of course, the present-day state.
That's how the Jell-O, ice cream and fry sauce pins came to life. Some ideas like the ancient rock art depictions come from Aminco's own research into Utah culture. Other ideas came from pin traders and collectors, and yet others come from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, which must approve all pin designs.
The green Jell-O pin -- arguably the most popular 2002 Games pin -- was designed by Gary Johnson, director of brand development at SLOC, who also came up with idea.
About 90 percent of the pins are developed and designed by Aminco's art department and researchers.
Aminco, which has no stake in the high prices fetched by collectible pins at pin shows, has other would-be collectibles in the works. They are now developing a pin series related to trains and railroads, as well as the state's quilting heritage.
Officials are also now considering an official Salt Lake tornado pin.
Each and every pin has the potential to become a valuable collectible, but the fact is most are worth the same today as when they first hit store shelves. No one knows what's going to be a commercial hit until it happens.
"If I knew (the next big collectible), I wouldn't be doing what I do," Hyman laughs.
Some of the most expensive pins on the market include a 1997 entry with the bid logo and a pair of crossed skis, and one commonly referred to as the "globe pin." The initial $12 investments now fetch more than $200.
The hottest pins among collectors now are a US WEST sponsor pin launched a couple of months ago and the "Millennium" pin.
"Sometimes pins take two or three or four months to escalate in value," Hyman said. "This whole business is word of mouth."
The collectibility of a pin is determined by a combination of availability and demand. Many, if not most, pins are produced in 10,000-piece lots, and they are not hard to find.
However, only 500 "Share Our Dream" pins were made. The pin, which features Salt Lake City, Nagano, Sydney and Athens, was handed out for free at a meeting of Olympic officials. It now sells for $300.
"Some people look at pins as an investment, but they are not," Hyman said. "It's more fun to have a cache of these pins, and when people and athletes start coming here from all over the world you will have something to trade. It becomes an international experience."
But collecting is an investment in the sense that if you have an extra green Jell-O pin, it's probably worth 10 or 12 other pins being offered up by Olympic athletes or various country delegations.
"I say buy a bunch of them," Hyman says. "When the Games come, you will need something to trade. But go after the fun stuff."
The Olympic Pin, Coin and Memorabilia Show, hosted by the Olympic Collectors of the United States, will be held Friday and Saturday at the Salt Palace Convention Center. Admission is $3 for adults, $5 for a two-day pass; $1.50 for seniors 55 and older; and $1 for children 12 and under. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday. A memorabilia auction is scheduled 7:30-9:30 p.m. Friday in Room 253A. Olympian autograph sessions are also planned both days.